Abstract:

The use of games as learning tools have proven to be a valuable way to help pupils learn while having fun. By using BetterGeo, which is a modification created by the Swedish Geological Survey (SGU) on Minecraft (one of the world's most popular games), primary school students can become familiar not only with the importance of raw materials in modern life, but also in how these minerals and rocks become part of everything they use in everyday life, and start learning basic concepts about geology, minerals, mining, mineral processing, and circular economy.

Alongside the development of the mod, the BetterGeo Project develops free use teaching materials to help teachers and students in this approach to the raw materials sector. This European project is developed with the support of EIT Raw Materials, one of the eight Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) launched by the EIT (European Institute of Innovation and Technology), and funded by the European Commission, whose mission is to help boost the competitiveness, growth and attractiveness of the European raw materials sector through radical innovation and guided entrepreneurship. The Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Technical University of Madrid) is one of the partners involved in this pioneering initiative, and this paper describes the idea behind BetterGeo, together with the innovative development of exercises and educational material designed to facilitate primary school students their first contact with raw materials.

Learning to make cement from minerals and rocks is an involving and interesting experience for students under this schema developed in BetterGeo by going one step further and showing first-hand the direct applications of minerals and rocks in the manufacturing of building and construction materials. In this case, they go deeper in what is the cement, the main binding element used in construction today and whose composition can accept hundreds of variants including other materials or raw materials.

Using a simple script with short and simple instructions, students will be able to differentiate the most commonly used mineral components or ingredients, becoming able to make their own mixtures by adjusting quantities and setting times. They will also learn to differentiate when a cement reaches its maximum strength and will even be able to experiment with the addition of components from recycled materials or other raw materials that are not normally used in its manufacture, but which add new and interesting properties to this building material.

Keywords:

Gaming, interactive learning, raw materials, cement, circular economy, student, uses.